I hope everyone is safe as the hurricane continues to move up the east coast, and the dust storms/fires on the west coast, with no loss of life and little or no loss of property.

Everyone stay safe as you cookout, enjoy the beach, enjoy fireworks, or whatever you are doing today. And smile because the man in the oval office is working on *our* behalf; REAL people, not corporations. President Obama stands out as a jewel among all the coal in Washington D. C. 😀

Love what the wonderful Africa called this Wonderful young woman: our First Daughter! A heartwarming tribute, a sweet start to our great nation’s birthday celebration. Thankful for Chips, NerdyWonka, and BT’s, on the job, getting the story, keeping us focused on what matters.

What a beautiful girl Malia is. I can only imagine how proud her parents are of her and how much they pray for her future. May she have the best birthday ever!!

Today is a good day to celebrate, rain or not, but I wish people across the country would remember that being a patriotic American is not about flags, speeches and parades. It’s about working together for a common good, which about half of this country seems to have forgotten. Wherever we come from originally, we share a bond on this day. No matter how or why our ancestors or current family members stepped on this American soil, they came here to make life better for themselves and their families and to forge some kind of new Identity as “Americans.” Those who choose to hate or marginalize others, particularly their own president, are rejecting not only what this country is about, but what their own families tried to achieve. I don’t need to have a flag waving to remember how much becoming a citizen meant to my Italian immigrant father. It was what he worked very hard for and what he wanted most for his family. Somewhere in virtually all of our backgrounds, someone, someone, did the same. And those struggles to become American, and to fight and die for it, if necessary, are what this affirmation of America is about on this very special day. Have a great one!

Jackie, you have stated the privileges and responsibilities of being a true patriot beautifully. Go 4th and prosper on this Independence Day and every day, TOD! Glad we can enjoy Malia’s and our country’s birthday celebration at the White House.

I’ve seen criticism here of Linda Sanchez (D-CA) here, and here’s more fuel to that fire:
“National Journal first reported earlier this week that the Ethics Committee had quietly deleted the disclosure requirement behind closed doors and without any public announcement. Watchdog groups criticized the maneuver and, amid public criticism, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said it “must be reversed.”

From the article:
“Conaway, who had previously avoided any public comment on the matter, said there had been ‘no malicious intent’ and declared Thursday, ‘It was a wrong decision and we’re going to fix it.’

The Ethics panel is one of the few committees in Congress equally divided between Republicans and Democrats. Conaway said he and ranking member Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., who had previously signed off on the change, had jointly decided to re-implement disclosure of free trips on annual forms.

‘Linda and I have reversed the decision,’ Conaway said. He said lawmakers would have between 15 and 30 days to amend their filings to include the free trips that they received from private sponsors in 2013.”

Good Morning, Ms Chips! You seem to have an uncanny ability to ‘throw pictures together’. Thanks so much for this beautiful collage of America’s first First Princess – she has certainly grown with grace, poise and loveliness of character! I hope she feels the love today, not only from her family and friends, but virtually, from the vast reaches of cyberspace.

Good Morning, TODobots!

Wishing all Americans, at home and abroad, a positively memorable Independence Day!

A couple weeks ago ‘the village’ (Well, okay, a few people from the village 🙄 ) decided to start a ‘picture of the month’ file where at the end of the month we choose two pics by (more or less) majority consensus. I volunteered said at the time I’d gladly keep a record of the pics [We, I’m sure, don’t want to add something ELSE to CC’s load] so that at year’s end we can have fun fighting over our pic of the year. We do already have two candidates for the month of June, but I have a vague memory suggesting that we might go backwards for now to cover the months January to May. I think this weekend might be a good time to start the catch-up process.

Now sure yet how best to do this, but here’s my initial thought. When you have a spare moment…..

1. ✈ ✈…. wrack your mind and remember a picture in the previous months [May -April – March – February – January] that grabbed you by the throat.
2. ✈ ✈….Search through the TOD archives and locate the pic.
3. ✈ ✈… Give me the link and I’ll copy the pic into my new ‘Picture of the Year’ file.

If you have a more efficient method (that does not include Chips…no offense CC, simply trying to leave you ‘free’ for now as *YOU* will likely be the one creating the “poll” at year’s end), I’m all ears! Thank you in advance for your submissions.

My favorite pictures, well I like them all, but the last two of little Malia and Sasha. I think of the two young girls who walk on the world stage at the 2009 inauguration and the 2013. Then I look at these two pictures of them as babies. So precious.

A beautiful Happy sixteen birthday to our lovely and elegant First Daughter, Malia Ann Obama. Oh, how grateful and elated her paternal grand-mother, Ann Dunham would be to see her lovely first grand-daughter. Her spirit is celebrating with her son’s oldest daughter.

Happy Independence Day to my Chips and TOD family as we celebrate with our First Daughter today. {{{{{{{Love to all in my TOD family.}}}}}}}}HZ-